the Kidnapping
by FairyBreadSprinkles
Summary: While Alyss is at castle Araulen and Will has crashed in front of the fire, a mysterious stranger with malicious intent approaches. What will the consequences will the couple face?
1. coffee and sleepless nights

Coffee and sleepless nights

"OI! DANIEL! HAVE YOU SEEN MY SAXE KNIFE?"

Daniel cringed. What did he happen to have in his hand right at the moment?

"I am so screwed."

"And why would that be?"

Daniel jumped in surprise. He turned quickly to see his surrogate Uncle standing right behind him.

"UNCLE GIL!"

Daniel jumped on the ranger almost knocking him over. At ten, it was clear that although he had his father's small, wiry frame, he had received his mother's height. He was more than capable of knocking over the green-and-grey clad figure in front of him.

"Watch it Dan."

Gilan reached up and patted the youngster's head. As Gilan looked at his godson, the feeling of getting old hit him. He knew quite well that he and his wife Jenny were getting on in years. The ever-preset flecks of silver in his dirty-blonde hair were a constant reminder of his forty-seven years. The mop of brown hair and the shining brown eyes that were looking back at him curiously.

"DANIEL!"

"Any particle reason Will wants to kill you even more than usual, Dan?"

Daniel looked up at his Uncle imploringly.

"Please Gil. Don't tell him I have it!"

"And what is this mysterious object of your father's that you happen not to have?"

Daniel muttered something unintelligible under his breathe

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that."

Daniel repeated himself a little louder so Gilan could just make out the words.

"His saxe knife."

Gilan looked over Daniel's shoulder see a fuming Will storm around the corner of the log cabin. He looked sympathetically at the young boy in front of him.

"I suggest you start running, 'cause here he comes."

Daniel paled and looked over his shoulder. With a frightened yelp, he scampered away like a frightened rabbit, pushing the saxe knife into Gilan's hand.

Will caught sight of his son and started to run at him. As Will ran past him, Gilan grabbed his shoulder and pushed the saxe knife into his comrade's hands. Will looked down in surprise.

"Thanks Gil."

"Any particular reason you lost it over your saxe knife?"

"It's not just that. I've told him numerous times my weapons are not toys."

Will sighed. Daniel was such a handful. Gilan looked closely at his friend. The bags under Will's eyes were testimony to late nights and little to no sleep.

"When was the last time you got a solid night's sleep?"

Will thought for a moment.

"Not entirely sure. Gloria came down with something four or five nights ago, so not before then."

Gilan nodded. Because Daniel's little sister was only four, if she was sick she would have to be watched carefully. Since Alyss was at castle Arulan for the next few weeks, Will had to watch both children, one of which was sick, in addition to his ranger duties. Halt could help out from time to time, but as both he and Pauline were retired, they couldn't help as much as they would like to.

"Need some help?"

"You want to take three weeks off to help take care of two little spit balls?"

"Well, when you put it that way, sure."

Will grinned. He knew that since he and Jenny had no children of their own, both Gilan and his wife loved to spoil Gloria and Daniel rotten.

"Coffee Gil?"

"Did you even have to ask?"

As they turned to go back inside, a brown head broke out from in between the leaves on the tall oak that towered above them.

"Is it safe to come out yet Uncle Gil?"

Both rangers smiled to themselves. Apparently the young felon hadn't noticed his father standing next to the same tree he was hiding in. Gilan was about to reply when he got cut off by Will.

"I'm not sure. Gil, do you think it is safe for our young miscreant to come down now?"

Daniel yelped and disappeared even higher into the tree. Gilan shook his head smiling.

"Well Will, I must say you have a way with children."

Will was about to answer, but at that moment a baby started crying. Will smiled at Gilan.

"Well now mister baby-sitter. You think you can deal with Gloria while I make some coffee?"

The tree leaves shook violently as a small figure fell off the branch he was sitting on.

"I'LL MAKE THE COFFEE DAD!" Daniel ran inside to make the coffee as the two men smiled at him.

"How did Alyss react to the fact that you turned her son into a coffee addict Will?" Will grinned ruefully.

"Actually, I didn't. That particular fault lies with Halt."

They walked into the cabin and were greeted with the sweet aroma of coffee. They both sighed appreciatively. Then the baby started crying again. Will turned to his old friend.

"Well ranger baby-sitter, you have a baby to take care of."

He sniffed the air experimentally, wrinkling his nose.

"And I'm glad you're taking this one, not me."

"What makes you think that I'm just going to do this?"

"Cause you agreed uncle Gil." Two heads turned toward the small figure in front of the fire place.

"Fine. I'll do it. But only under protest!" Gilan walked in the direction of the second bedroom that the two children shared. Will sat down and sighed contentedly. Then he turned his eye on his son.

"Now when's that coffee going to be ready?"


	2. the mysterious pressence

**A/N: I'm back! Sorry it's been so long. Anyway, enjoy!**

"Thanks for all your help Gil."

Gilan had stayed with the Treatys for the past week helping Will take care of his sick daughter, Gloria. Gil smiled at his old friend.

"No problem Will. It was nice to see all three of you again."

Will opened his mouth to reply when a bundle of energy almost knocked him over as Daniel raced past him to embrace his Uncle.

"Why do you have to go?"

Gilan smiled at his surrogate nephew.

"I do have my own fief to take care of you know."

Daniel pouted. Will laughed and smiled down at his son.

"You know, I'm sure that if you work really hard that Gil might consent to have you over for a few days."

Gil pretended to be outraged.

"What! Where on earth did you get that idea from? Why would I want the boy who's practically my son to come over so my wife can spoil him and I can teach him ranger tricks without his old man spying on us!"

Will raised an eyebrow.

"Since you have at least ten years on me, if I'm an old man, what does that make you?"

For once, Gilan was at loss as for what to say. Daniel grinned at spoke for him.

"Ancient."

Gil turned a baleful eye on him.

"Thank you for that assessment mister Treaty."

Will laughed.

"He is right you know."

Now it was Gilan's turn to raise his eyebrow.

"At least blond hair hides gray hair better than brown does."

Will scowled. He turned to his son when he heard a stifled laugh. Daniel quickly put on a straight face and turned to his uncle looking for an escape.

"How soon can I visit? Can I come today?"

Gilan smiled.

"Not today. I wouldn't want to deprive your father from murdering you."

"Okay. But when I do come Uncle Gil, the first trick you have to teach me is how to raise one eyebrow like all rangers do."

Will ruffled his son's hair. He stepped forward to embrace his old friend. A wail was heard from inside the house.

"Well duty calls. Go check on your sister Dan, I'll be inside in a minute."

"Okay dad."

They both watched the boy run into the house. Gilan clapped Will on the back and mounted blaze.

"Come round soon Will. Jenny would love the chance to spoil you."

"I'll do that."

After Gilan had disappeared around the bend, Will turned to follow his son inside. He had barely taken two steps when he felt a prickling on the back of his neck. He stood stock still for a full ten minutes before Gloria's cries broke the silence. Shaking his head and muttering to himself about how he was getting to be as paranoid as Halt was, he continued toward the house.

A figure concealed behind the tree breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought he had been spotted. He smiled to himself. He would get the ranger back for murdering his father, and he would do it in the most painful way possible. And the best part? He was been paid to do it.

**And so enters the blackguard who wants revenge! See if you can guess who his father was and who is paying him. As always, read and review!**


	3. traps and revenge motives

**AN: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! And if you say you missed me, I update faster! So here is the next chapter. Enjoy, but don't let the flying monkeys eat you while you read it! (Ps, if I seem a little crazy, I'm currently on a coffee high after 36 hours awake.)(Did you know that 17 hours awake does the same think to your system as 2 glasses of wine? That means I'm up to at least 4!)**

Cameria Bemata moved through the foliage with ease. He had heard, through one of his many channels, that the ranger would be sending his son to visit his godfather in Whitby fief next week. And the boy would be making the trip alone. He shook his head at Will Treaty's foolishness. You just sont send a nine year old on a trip into another fief by himself, he decided. Even if the trip only takes a few hours, a lot can happen. He crossed the road, well actually it was more of a track, and found a sutible place to spring his trap. He would get revenge for his father, and Ranger Will Treaty would rue the day he murdered Bacari Bemata.

**AN: I know its short, but hold tight. A real chapter is coming soon. And for all of you who survived the flying monkeys, **_**SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUFWEIDERSEN GOODBYE!**_


	4. kidnapped

**AN:****hi guys! I'm slightly more sober this time, so there's no need to worry about my sanity anymore. So here you go!**

* * *

Daniel Treaty was excited. He was currently on his way to visit his uncle Gilan in the next fief over. It had been almost a month since his godfather had visited the family. His mum had been back for just over a week and had helped him to convince his dad to let him visit the residents of the ranger's cabin in Whitby. Judging by the scenery that he had memorised as a kid, he was about ten minutes from the border. After that it was only another hour away.

* * *

Cameria Bemata was stiff and sore. He had been waiting for his target for almost four hours. The target was late. He scowled. The sound of hoof beats reached his ears. His face transformed into a smile.

* * *

The leaves on the tree just up and to the left of him rustled. Daniel frowned. There was no wind. He shrugged and kept on going.

"Probably just a squirrel or a bird."

He knew he was talking to himself, but he didn't care. It wasn't as if there was any one around to hear him. How wrong he was.

A net dropped from the same tree he had noticed earlier, knocking him off his horse. Tee reared and bolted off down the road towards the border. Daniel noticed a purple-clad figure drop from the tree. His blood ran cold. His father had told him about the Genovesans, and he had never felt the need to meet one. Now he was anyway. The Genovesan smiled at him.

"Just a squirrel or a bird?"

Daniel opened his mouth, but before he could speak, a boot collided with his head, making his vision go black.


	5. Taken

**AN: I'm back! Sorry about the wait, I've been a touch busy. But, I'm back now, so here is the next Instalment of 'The Kidnapping.'**

**P.S. It was pointed out to me that a 10 yr old might not have been allowed to make the trip by himself. However, the trip is only 2/3 hours and he knows the way quite well, so I don't think it would be too much of a problem. **

Gilan leaned back against the back of his deck chair and sighed. The sun was just touching the trees, and he was starting to worry. Daniel should have been here hours ago. He turned as the door to the cabin opened and he moved over to allow his wife to sit down. Jenny rested her head on his shoulder and sighed quietly.

"He hasn't arrived yet."

"No."

She sighed again. Gilan put his cheek on the top of her head.

"Maybe I should go looking for him."

"Maybe I should."

Gilan rose from the chair and headed to the stables. Halfway there, a sense of urgency gripped him and he all but ran into the little lean-to and saddled Blaze as fast as he could. He led the horse out and mounted him, telling Jenny to keep an eye out for the boy. Turning the mare's head around, he headed for the track. He was furious with himself for not going out to look earlier. He sighed.

"Oh, Daniel. Where are you?"

When Daniel opened his eyes, all he could see was black. He lifted his bound hands to his face and came to the conclusion that he had been blindfolded. He tried to wiggle it off when a harsh voice stopped him.

"You pull off that blindfold and your death will be of your own accord."

He stopped pulling on it, and tried to figure out what the voice meant. Then a trickle of blood made its way past his ear.

"See? Already started bleeding again."

Daniel realised that the blindfold was doubling as a bandage (or was it the other way round?) and immediately tried to use it to stop the bleeding. His dad had told him that head wounds can bleed a lot, and if he ever had the misfortune of receiving one, to keep it clean and well dressed. He didn't see how that was going to happen at that particular point in time, though.

The owner of the voice was starting to move around. Then, a pair of calloused hands picked him up and threw him over a saddle pommel. He let out a groan, which turned into a yelp of pain when he was cuffed over the back of the head. The second time he was struck, he stayed silent. As the horse picked up speed, he found himself hoping against hope that someone, anyone would find him. He must have spoken his thoughts aloud, but instead of hitting his over the head, the voice laughed. Not a pleasant laugh, but a deep, cruel, _menacing _laugh.

"Ain't no one gonna find you where we're heading kid."


End file.
